Roast Beef Sandwiches
by wehavedental
Summary: Who ever thought you could hook up in a convience store? Buffy/Eve.


**A/N:** This Buffy/Eve fic was written for the Love is Everywhere challenge on goodevil (a live journal community). It takes place during the first season of Angel. Buffy has just fought with Angel over him protecting Faith, and about to begin the journey back to Sunnydale.

The grey-eyed woman scanned her selections hesitantly. Sandwiches on sale for 2.99, slightly aged looking pizza for 2.50 a slice, or an almost healthy looking container of salad for a mere 2.00. She observed the salad curiously. It seemed to wilt sadly in response.

_Roast beef it is,_ Eve thought duly, bringing the oversized sandwich to the check out counter.

A rather pretty blonde woman stood near the checkout, observing the many sweets. Surprisingly enough, she also held a roast beef sandwich. Eve's eyes slowly traced over the woman's figure. Trim, fairly small hips, a sweet nose, and startlingly green eyes that examined the selection in front of her with deep concern. It was rather like she was debating which loved one she would have to sacrifice, rather than which brand of chocolate she should purchase.

"I prefer the Mars Bars, personally." "Sorry?" The woman looked up, startled, and Eve took this opportunity to make a more detailed examination. She was attractive, no doubt about it, her long blonde hair falling in soft curls and framing her face.

"The Mars Bars is probably your best choice, though Snickers is a good second best. You're going to need something to get the taste of that sandwich out of your mouth."

A half smile, "You're probably right." The blonde held the slightly squashed looking sandwich out in front of her. It appeared to have previously been man-handled, as it no longer looked so much like a sandwich as it did a lumpy ball of bread and meat. "It's not exactly gourmet, is it?"

Eve smiled in response, "Not exactly. Food is food, though. I'm just out of college…you learn to budget when you start having to pay back those nasty student loans."

The check out counter beside them beeped periodically, a pimply looking boy running through items at a slightly alarming rate. The line moved forward, and Eve stepped into it, eyes still resting on the blonde haired girl. "I'm Eve, by the way."

"Buffy." The woman moved from her crouched position in front of the chocolate stand, grabbing a Mars Bar as she straightened herself. She narrowed the gap between them by stepping into line behind her slim companion. "Come here often?" The sarcasm in her voice, and the way the corner of her mouth lifted slightly, made it obvious that the comment was less of a cheesy pick-up line, than a lack of anything worth talking about.

"Interesting name-and no, only when I'm desperate. You?" Eve's frail looking sandwich was looking less appealing by the moment. _This is what you get for working so late._ She thought sadly. She had been filling out forms for a recent client, surprisingly a human, she noted with content (even the bloodthirsty ones were a step up from her demon cases). Glancing at the convenience store's clock she recognized that it was nearly 10pm. Too late to even make a half hearted attempt at dinner, and too lonely to risk the defeated feeling that came with eating out alone. Late night hunger called for desperate measures.

"First time, actually."

"Ah. Well that leads me to two theories. Either you know how to cook, or you're not from around here."

"The latter, definitely." There was amusement in her features, but something else as well. The pinkness of her checks suggested that Buffy was the type of girl who could have burned water.

"Same. Kraft dinner is one of my favourite creations. It may not sound appealing at first, but you learn to be creative. Spices are a girl's best friend."

"I might just take your word for that. Cooking? Not my forte."

The already short line up had gradually dissipated, and Eve placed her sad looking sandwich onto the counter. The pimply teenager at the counter did not look up, quickly scanning the item and bagging it. "That'll be three dollars and fourteen cents," he deadpanned. Eve dished out the correct change from her purse and handed it to the boy. Tossing the change into the cash register, he handed her the bag and receipt.

"So, you're not from around here?" Eve directed the question to the blonde haired woman, as Buffy's own beat up sandwich and lightly dust-covered chocolate bar proceeded to be scanned through at the counter. Buffy carried herself well, Eve noted silently. Due to the lack of A/C in the convenience store she had removed her red jacket, draping it over one arm. Covering her figure was a simple black tank top and jeans. They framed her nicely.

"Hardly." Buffy stated. The smile stayed fixed on her features, but her voice was slightly bitter. "I'm from Sunnydale."

"_Thee_ Sunnydale?" Eve's eyebrows raised, "As in, most well known hell mouth in the world kind of Sunnydale?"

"That's the one." She replied glumly, nodding, and then with false cheer: "Certainly makes every living day a ball of fun."

Buffy paid for the hardly appetizing meal, and casually pocketed her change. Both women headed for the door. "I bet. I'm kind of surprised you even know what I'm taking about. I know a lot of people who like to put on their rose-coloured glasses and ignore that sort of thing."

"I was about to say the same to you." The blonde haired girl blinked long lashes in surprise. "Not everyone goes around proclaiming they know where the big bad is hanging out. And, yeah…it would definitely make life a lot of easier if I could pull the wool over my eyes." An exasperated tone. "You get used to it though. The more I think about it, the more I realize that Sunnydale is probably the best place for me to be."

"Why's that?"

"Well…it's complicated."

"Ah…so you're in love."

"_Very_ complicated."

Eve's eyes rose to the ceiling as if asking the PTB's to grant them some strain of dignity when it came to their crude companions in life. "Men."

The girl's green eyes displayed her evident amusement, "I could add on the cliché line of 'you can't live with them, can't live without them' but I'm starting to think that's actually a myth." A rueful grin, "We might really be better off without them."

Their eyes met again, and both women began to grin. Buffy was first to break the brief silence, "I really am a piece of work, aren't I?"

They proceeded through the door, Buffy gestured for Eve to go first. "I definitely wouldn't make it at one of those meetings for singles. Knowing my luck, I'd probably be thrown out due to hatred of the opposite species."

"You and me both." Briefly Eve thought of Lindsey. Somewhat attractive, but at the same time, so emotionally distant that having a real relationship would be like pulling teeth. She may have not been quite ready to throw in the towel on men completely, but it was amusing to even suggest the possibility. And, well…Buffy really did look nice in that top.

"Okay, well since that topic isn't madly popular, why LA?" Buffy gave a brief sigh. "You don't even want to know."

"Man, you really aren't making with the happy life are you?"

"Let's just say men are out to get me." She paused for a moment, the frown she wore deepening. "And not in the good, 'I think you're pretty, let's date,' flattering sense. More like the 'stab you repeatedly in the heart,' sort of sense. I thought coming here might solve some of my problems, but honestly I think I've just dug myself a deeper hole."

"Life is a bitch." Eve was almost at the point of straining her unsympathetic nature, but managed to deliver the line with some level of sincerity. Honestly, why should she care that yet another girl had become a victim of a bad relationship? It certainly couldn't have been the first blow, and it definitely wouldn't be the last. Something made her go the extra mile though. Perhaps it was the girl's lips, the way they borderlined on that sweet, pouty expression, or the way those jeans seemed to hug the girl's frame in just the right way. Eve wasn't sure. Either way, both of them hadn't yet made the effort to end the exchange of pleasantries at the door.

"You're telling me." Buffy gave a small shrug, and with it, the emotional weight of the day seemed to lift off of her. Her green eyes brightened considerably, as she shook off the bad vibes. "I'm just glad to be heading home soon."

_Damn_. Eve had felt like she was reeling her in, but obviously the girl already had other plans. "When do you leave for Sunnydale?"

The blonde combed a stray piece of hair back with her fingers, before beginning to dig through her wallet. She pulled out a slightly tattered bus schedule, "Mm…it says here I'm catching a bus back at--oh, _shit_."

What ever composure she held previously vanished in an instant. "What time is it?" _Bingo._

Eve casually reached into her own bag to look at her cell phone. She tilted the screen so that both of them could read it. Buffy leaned in closer, their arms brushing lightly. The time read 10:14 PM.

"Wonderful." The other woman brushed her blonde hair out of her face once more, exasperatedly putting a hand to her hip, "The bus left about five minutes ago. I don't know what I was thinking, I could have sworn--…Well, fuck. I think that was the last bus until 2am, too. What a perfect way to end an already fun filled evening."

And here goes nothing, "I have a couch if you need a place to stay. Like, I know we've just met and everything…but, feel free to take me up on the offer." Just the right amount of sincerity, not too pushy. Perfect.

Widened green eyes met grey ones, "Are you serious?"

"It's not much." She replied, humble. "The place is a mess, so you'll have to mind where you walk. Either way, at least we can try our hand at making a home cooked meal." She and Buffy broke eye contact briefly to glance at the plastic bags they carried. Each one held a mediocre roast beef sandwich, which were becoming less appealing by the moment. "It won't be first class by any means, but come for dinner at least. We'll have a good time."

She gave the slightly taller girl a look that she hoped got the message across. Clearly, this was not just an invitation for dinner. Buffy flushed, and a thought popped into Eve's mind. Maybe she's never been with a woman before. Honestly, she had the sex appeal, but she could understand the girl being new to the concept. Buffy seemed oddly…innocent. She wasn't use to dealing with beginners, but who knows? Maybe the blonde would be worth her time.

Later, after making their way into Eve's car, past the front doorway, and slowly up the stairs, losing articles of clothing as they went, Eve found out that yes, experience or no experience, Buffy was _definitely_ worth her time. And when both of them finally laid tangled in the sheets, the fair haired woman curled into Eve's own naked body, blonde curls resting on Eve's stomach, and the owner of said curls sleeping with a contented smile on her lips, Eve would think of the irony of two beaten up roast beef sandwiches bringing them together.


End file.
